54496_EB_May.qxd 6/10/09 1:44 PM Page 1 MAY 2009 INSIDE EB Engineers Honored By ASME • 2 Employees Pocket $125,000 In Wellness Raffle • 3 Accepting the General Dynamics Manufacturing Excellence Award are, seated from left, Howard Jenkins (931), Earned Hours • 3 Paul Lagasse (921), Kirk Daniels (951), Roger Ball (911) and Dick Palmieri (670). Standing from left are Kevin Devine Welcome To Electric Boat • 3 (601), Bill Frydryk (900), Steve Donahue (951), Ned Kaminski (931), John Casey (601), Tony Moniz (900), Bob Wolff Keel Is Laid For Sub California • 4 (962), Danielle Fernholz (931) and Will Lennon (601). EB’s Hamilton Heads Regional United Way • 4 U.S. Navy Awards Electric Boat EB’S USE OF LASER TECHNOLOGY WINS $16M Contract For USS Hartford Repair Work • 5 Marine Systems News • 6 / 7 GD MANUFACTURING AWARD Health Matters • 8 / 9 Retirees • 9 n Electric Boat team that reduced Virginia-class Submarine Program cost and span Classified • 10 times through the use of laser technology has been honored with a General Dynamics Workers Memorial Day Manufacturing Excellence Award. Observed • 10 A The Quonset Point effort began about 10 years ago when the facility adapted a vision to Ethics • 11 ensure Electric Boat remained the lowest-cost submarine producer. One of the keys to achieving Service Awards • 11 continued on page 5 Safety Performance • 12 54496_EB_May.qxd 6/10/09 1:45 PM Page 2 From left are Bob Walsh (492), John Kelley (433), Dave Atwell (433) and Andy Bliss (494). EB Engineers Honored By ASME our Electric Boat engineers have been “Electric Boat’s Engineering and deserve to be recognized for their efforts honored for their professional accom- Design capabilities are built on to advance the company’s technical lead- plishments by the Providence section ership in the shipbuilding industry.” F the foundation of technical of the American Society of Mechanical Engi- The Electric Boat engineers honored neers. excellence. These employees at the event were: They were among 17 technologists from gov- David Atwell. Ini- deserve to be recognized for ernment and industry recognized recently at the tially trained as a local AMSE chapter’s annual recognition night. their efforts to advance the physicist, this 31- “The event is one of the ways Electric Boat’s year company vet- Engineering organization celebrates its employ- company’s technical leadership eran is an accom- ees’ technical attainments, said Ken Blomstedt, in the shipbuilding industry.” plished mechanical director of mechanical design and engineering, engineer who has who also organized the company’s participation – Ken Blomstedt, worked to improve in the awards event. director of mechanical the manufacturing processes used to “Electric Boat’s Engineering and Design design and engineering build Los Angeles and Ohio-class sub- capabilities are built on the foundation of tech- nical excellence,” he said. “These employees continued on page 7 2 I May 2009 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS 54496_EB_May.qxd 6/10/09 1:45 PM Page 3 Dan Barrett, Editor Bob Gallo, Gary Slater, Gary Hall, Photography Electric Boat News is published monthly by the Public Affairs Department, 75 Eastern Point Road, Groton, CT 06340 Phone (860) 433-8202 Fax (860) 433-8054 Email [email protected] Earned Hours: Where We Stand WELCOME TO ELECTRIC BOAT; Please help welcome the following employees, who have recently joined the company: 229 Alan Smith 252 Shawn Tedford Panagiotes Vourtsis 243 Angel Aybar Justin Fowler 272 Jerry Strange Jason Lanoue Derek Wheatley Jeffery Stefanski 412 Dylan Henderson 244 Clarence Collins Matthew Cook 425 Thomas Wilson David Ewalt Francis Hickey 427 Justin Raymond Albert Potter David Robert Sullivan Schwarzenberg Glenn Walkinshaw 428 Craig Koenigsknecht Dale Leonard 252 Gary Anderson 429 Brandon Bertoli Louis Arrindell Jereme Ducharme Robert Austin James Bennett 449 Michael Fecteau Joseph Chomicz David Dillmann 472 Valerie Holmes Sean Ferguson Peter Fontaine 473 Rohanie Lochan Employees Pocket $125,000 in Wellness Raffle Chris Gordon Bob Nardone, vice president – HR and Administration, hands a $7,500 check to Robert Hill Clifford Halstead 505 James Parrish Derek Huckel (333), who was selected for the top cash award in the company’s “It All Counts” raffle. Alto- Mark Mageau 604 Lisa McCabe gether, 149 cash prizes totaling $125,000 were awarded to employees who became eligible David Maher for the drawing by participating in a smoking cessation program, completing a health risk 660 Raymond Brown Michael Marakovitz questionnaire, receiving a physical from a primary care physician, or attending a “Know James Marsigliano Saverio Magliari Your Numbers” session. “It All Counts” is one of several Electric Boat programs designed to Eric Moore Minh Nguyen Stephen Richards promote health and wellness and provide recognition and rewards to participants. Glenn Ruetz 662 Thomas Rak ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I May 2009 I 3 54496_EB_May.qxd 6/10/09 1:45 PM Page 4 Keel Is Laid For Submarine California NEWPORT NEWS, Va. n an event held at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding earlier this month, Ship Spon- Isor Donna Willard authenticated the keel of the submarine California (SSN-781), marking the ceremonial start of construction of the eighth Virginia-class ship. “From my heart, I want you all to know how honored I am to be the sponsor of the USS Cal- ifornia,” said Willard, the wife of Adm. Robert F. Willard, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. “It’s not just about the steel on the outside of the California that makes this so exciting for me, but rather it’s the men on the inside. They are the sons, the brothers, the husbands and the fathers who will give life to this boat. They are the ones who go in harm’s way in defense of our free- dom.” After Willard chalked her initials on to a metal plate, they were welded on to the plate by Newport News welder Scott Hallinger. The plate will be permanently affixed to the submarine. Also participating in the ceremony were U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.); Adm. Kirkland Don- ald, director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion; Elec- tric Boat President John Casey; Sector Vice Pres- ident and General Manager of Northrop Grum- man Shipbuilding – Newport News Matt Mul- herin; and Cmdr. Kevin Kinslow, prospective commanding officer of California. Guests at the event included employees from both shipyards, the officers and crew of California, U.S. Navy personnel and government officials. California will be christened next year; with Newport News welder Scott Hallinger (left) welds the initials of Donna Willard, ship delivery to the Navy scheduled for 2011. sponsor of California (SSN-781), on to a metal plate that will be affixed to the submarine. EB’s Hamilton Heads Regional United Way irector of Communications Robert A. leading the executive committee and the board of “ With the entire Hamilton has been elected chairman of the directors; and overseeing United Way President Ken community pulling Dboard – United Way of Southeastern Con- Hinrichs and all committees reporting to the board. necticut. He will serve as chairman until January 2011. together, we can “Bob’s commitment to this community makes him “This is a community that rallies together during succeed in helping an obvious choice to lead our organization through difficult times,” said Hamilton. “I’m convinced we these difficult economic times,” said Bill Rountree, will harness that spirit once again. With the entire those in need.” past chairman. Hamilton previously served on the community pulling together, we can succeed in help- United Way’s marketing committee. ing those in need.” Hamilton’s responsibilities in his new role include 4 I May 2009 I ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS 54496_EB_May.qxd 6/10/09 1:45 PM Page 5 EB Wins General Dynamics Manufacturing Excellence Award continued from page 1 this vision was the introduction of new tion of secondary operations and the Steel Processing................ 35 percent technology, including the use of laser reduction of fitup time. Steel Fabrication .............. 10 percent technology. “When measuring in direct and sup- Sound Damping .............. 10 percent Laser marking and laser cutting were port cost savings, it’s clear that laser tech- Light Fabrication ............. 30 percent introduced in 2001 to the steel processing nology has made a significant impact at Metrology......................... 50 percent area followed by laser tracking in 2002, Quonset Point in its manufacturing laser scanning in 2004, light fabrication processes,” said Tony Moniz, director of “Laser technology has been an essen- laser cutting in 2005 and laser projection manufacturing and planning at QP. tial component of Quonset Point’s manu- in 2007. The cost savings achieved so far with facturing and outfitting processes in both Some of the more significant results the employment of laser technology the manufacturing and support sides of achieved include improved ergonomics, include: the business,” said Moniz. improved accuracy of cut parts, elimina- U.S. Navy Awards Electric Boat $16M Contract For USS Hartford Repair Work he U.S Navy has awarded Electric Boat a $15.8 mil- material procurement for the port retractable bow plane. lion contract to plan and perform repair work on Electric Boat also will perform planning work on the sail to T USS Hartford (SSN-768), a Los Angeles-class attack restore USS Hartford to full-service condition. Work is submarine damaged March 20 in a collision with the Navy expected to be completed by Oct. 31. amphibious ship, USS New Orleans, in the Strait of Hormuz. Under the terms of the contract, Electric Boat will perform Damaged in a collision in March, USS Hartford transits the Thames River planning work, material procurement and fabrication of a hull on its way to the Groton submarine base. patch and the bridge access trunk, as well as planning and ELECTRIC BOAT NEWS I May 2009 I 5 54496_EB_May.qxd 6/10/09 1:45 PM Page 6 MARINE SYSTEMS NEWS General Dynamics The littoral combat Awarded Contract ship Independence (LCS-2), shown here For Additional Littoral before its launch last Combat Ship year, is the second ship in a new design BATH, Maine of next-generation he U.S.